STACK TRACE COMPRESSION

• US 20150058825A1
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: MADAMPATH, Rajiv
• Granted Patent: US 9,256,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3003 Monitoring arrangements specially adapted to the computing system or computing system component being monitored
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3082 the data filtering being achieved by aggregating or compressing the monitored data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/34 Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3471 Address tracing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software

Abstract

Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems generate a plurality of possible stack traces for a computer program. Each possible stack trace represents functions that may be active while the computer program is running. Each function has a corresponding function identifier. A value for at least one of the plurality of possible stack traces is generated. Generating the value for each stack trace includes performing a series of one or more mathematical or logical operations between the function identifiers of the possible stack trace. A stack trace is generated as an output based upon a match between a run-time stack trace value and the at least one generated stack trace value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

generating a plurality of possible stack traces for a computer program, each possible stack trace representing functions that may be active while the computer program is running, each function having a corresponding function identifier;

generating a stack trace value for at least one of the plurality of possible stack traces, wherein generating the stack trace value includes performing a series of one or more mathematical or logical operations between the function identifiers of the possible stack trace to obtain the stack trace value;

receiving or reading a run-time stack trace value generated while the computer program is executed; and

generating an output including a stack trace, wherein the output stack trace is selected based upon a match between the run-time stack trace value and the at least one generated stack trace value.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the stack trace value includes performing a series of one or more exclusive or (XOR) operations between the function identifiers of the possible stack trace to obtain the stack trace value.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the generation of the plurality of stack traces is performed during compilation of the computer program.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the generation of the run-time value comprising:

initializing the run-time value to zero; and

each time a function is called or returns during execution of the computer program, performing a mathematical or logical operation between an identifier for the function and the run-time value to update the run-time value.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the run-time value matches a plurality of generated values, the method further comprising:

selecting a stack trace corresponding to one of the plurality of matching generated values by determining that at least a portion of a log message associated with the run-time value matches a command to print a log message in a top-most function in the stack trace.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the generation of the plurality of stack traces comprises:

determining that the computer program includes a function call to a library or another computer program;

generating a first stack trace for the computer program up to the function call to the library or other computer program;

generating a second stack trace for the library or other computer program beginning at an entry point corresponding to the function call to the library or other computer program; and

concatenating at least a portion of the first stack trace with at least a portion of the second stack trace.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the generation of one of the plurality of stack traces comprises:

determining that the computer program includes an indirect function call, wherein the indirect function call uses a function pointer;

generating a first stack trace for the computer program up to the indirect function call;

determining a set of one or more possible functions that can be assigned to the function pointer;

generating a second stack trace for each of the possible functions, with the possible function as an entry point for the second stack trace; and

generating possible stack traces by concatenating at least a portion of the first stack trace with at least a portion of each second stack trace.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform method comprising:

generating a plurality of possible stack traces for a computer program, each possible stack trace representing functions that may be active while the computer program is running, each function having a corresponding function identifier;

generating a stack trace value for at least one of the plurality of possible stack traces, wherein generating the stack trace value includes performing a series of one or more mathematical or logical operations between the function identifiers of the possible stack trace to obtain the stack trace value;

receiving or reading a run-time stack trace value generated while the computer program is executed; and

generating an output including a stack trace, wherein the output stack trace is selected based upon a match between the run-time stack trace value and the at least one generated stack trace value.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein generating the stack trace value includes performing a series of one or more exclusive or (XOR) operations between the function identifiers of the possible stack trace to obtain the stack trace value.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the generation of the plurality of stack traces is performed during compilation of the computer program.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, the generation of the run-time value comprising:

initializing the run-time value to zero; and

each time a function is called or returns during execution of the computer program, performing a mathematical or logical operation between an identifier for the function and the run-time value to update the run-time value.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the run-time value matches a plurality of generated values, the method further comprising:

selecting a stack trace corresponding to one of the plurality of matching generated values by determining that at least a portion of a log message associated with the run-time value matches a command to print a log message in a top-most function in the stack trace.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the generation of the plurality of stack traces comprises:

determining that the computer program includes a function call to a library or another computer program;

generating a first stack trace for the computer program up to the function call to the library or other computer program;

generating a second stack trace for the library or other computer program beginning at an entry point corresponding to the function call to the library or other computer program; and

concatenating at least a portion of the first stack trace with at least a portion of the second stack trace.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the generation of one of the plurality of stack traces comprises:

determining that the computer program includes an indirect function call, wherein the indirect function call uses a function pointer;

generating a first stack trace for the computer program up to the indirect function call;

determining a set of one or more possible functions that can be assigned to the function pointer;

generating a second stack trace for each of the possible functions, with the possible function as an entry point for the second stack trace; and

generating possible stack traces by concatenating at least a portion of the first stack trace with at least a portion of each second stack trace.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processing device, wherein the processing device executes instructions that cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising;

generating a plurality of possible stack traces for a computer program, each possible stack trace representing functions that may be active while the computer program is running, each function having a corresponding function identifier;

generating a stack trace value for at least one of the plurality of possible stack traces, wherein generating the stack trace value includes performing a series of one or more mathematical or logical operations between the function identifiers of the possible stack trace to obtain the stack trace value;

receiving or reading a run-time stack trace value generated while the computer program is executed; and

generating an output including a stack trace, wherein the output stack trace is selected based upon a match between the run-time stack trace value and the at least one generated stack trace value.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein generating the stack trace value includes performing a series of one or more exclusive or (XOR) operations between the function identifiers of the possible stack trace to obtain the stack trace value.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the generation of the run-time value comprising:

initializing the run-time value to zero; and

each time a function is called or returns during execution of the computer program, performing a mathematical or logical operation between an identifier for the function and the run-time value to update the run-time value.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the run-time value matches a plurality of generated values, the method further comprising:

selecting a stack trace corresponding to one of the plurality of matching generated values by determining that at least a portion of a log message associated with the run-time value matches a command to print a log message in a top-most function in the stack trace.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the generation of the plurality of stack traces comprises:

determining that the computer program includes a function call to a library or another computer program;

generating a first stack trace for the computer program up to the function call to the library or other computer program;

generating a second stack trace for the library or other computer program beginning at an entry point corresponding to the function call to the library or other computer program; and

concatenating at least a portion of the first stack trace with at least a portion of the second stack trace.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the generation of one of the plurality of stack traces comprises:

determining that the computer program includes an indirect function call, wherein the indirect function call uses a function pointer;

generating a first stack trace for the computer program up to the indirect function call;

determining a set of one or more possible functions that can be assigned to the function pointer;

generating a second stack trace for each of the possible functions, with the possible function as an entry point for the second stack trace; and

generating possible stack traces by concatenating at least a portion of the first stack trace with at least a portion of each second stack trace.